LAGUNA BEACH : Curfew, Anti-Graffiti Steps to be Discussed

Responding to an increase in graffiti and recent violence near local beaches, the Laguna Beach City Council on Tuesday will consider an anti-graffiti ordinance and begin discussing whether a curfew should be imposed at city beaches.

At least two community groups have already said they will push for a beach curfew in the wake of what police say was a gang-related shooting at Heisler Park on July 5 and a brutal rape at Crescent Bay Beach three weeks later.

In part, the rising concern is prompted by decisions earlier this year to close beaches at 10 p.m. in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. Since Laguna Beach is now the only city in Orange County with beaches open all night, some residents fear troublemakers will gravitate to this area.

Deputy Police Chief James Spreine will present a report to the council on Tuesday. Spreine would not discuss the report before the meeting but said he will not recommend a beach curfew on Tuesday.

While police say it would be difficult to enforce a beach curfew in this town because of the many coves along the coastline, some residents say the restrictions are still necessary.

“I think the curfew is what’s going to be needed,” Crescent Bay area resident Richard Gandin said. “Even hit-or-miss enforcement will yield more results than having no ordinance on the books to enforce.”

While the council grapples with what steps to take, if any, to make recreation areas safer, police have stepped up their patrols of parks and beaches.

In response to the Crescent Bay Beach rape, police began using an all-terrain vehicle to patrol the beaches and Heisler Park nightly from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Dozens of juvenile curfew violators have been arrested, including some affiliated with gangs from outside the city, Spreine said.

Residents seem relieved to see the motorcycle-like vehicle patrolling the coastline at night, Spreine said: “People really like seeing that officer out there.”

At Alta Laguna Park, where there have been several problems in recent months, an officer has been stationed at the park from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m. nightly.

“We want people to feel safer, and we’re trying to look at various measures to do that,” Spreine said. “In comparison to other cities, we are safe.”

While some city leaders have expressed ambivalence about restricting access to city beaches, there is little controversy about approving an anti-graffiti ordinance.

Residents say their community is increasingly marred by graffiti scrawls, and some fear the markings indicate an increase of gang activity in town.

Police said that they have found some gang-related graffiti but that most of it can be traced to local youths who are not affiliated with any gang.

The proposed ordinance would restrict the sale and possession of graffiti tools, such as spray paint cans and wide-tipped felt markers, and would require that parents pay for damage caused by their youngsters.